Upgrading tank, advice needed !

i'm upgrading from a 22 gallon to a 180 gallon. i'll add new live rock and sand to the 180, but planning to transfer the live rocks from the old tank too. Should i just let the tank cycle by itself before i move over or should i add anything from the old tank to the new one to aid? like liverocks, or bioballs? ;D

 

yheartsp

a lot of the information you need is contained in this article and the following thread

http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-aq...g-aquarium-transferring-bigger-one-54342.html

it is a major upgrade you are doing
so it might well be worth considering setting this tank up and cycling as an independant tank and then moving your existing live stock across

hopefully others will chip in also

Steve

 

i have read that one.. but in my circumstances i can actually move my little tank to one side and put the new tank there. so i have an option to let the tank cycle before i transfer .. i'm wondering if i should add some of my established live rock or bioballs to the new tank from the start?

 

Sure can - I would if it where me


it is a major upgrade you are doing
so it might well be worth considering setting this tank up and cycling as an independant tank and then moving your existing live stock across

ill add to that by saying - use some of the existing sand and rock to help start the cycle the new tank

hopefully others will chip in also

Steve

 

i don't think i wanna add my substrate from the old tank.. it has quite alot of algae growing on it, hair and red slime, ( so hard to control nutrients in a small tank without sump! ) . i think i'll just transfer some live rock inside. can i add it right from the beginning? or wait till ammonia and nitrites fall..?

The tankmaker's been doing my tank, cabinet and certain equipments for 2 weeks already and it'll be done next week, feeling so impatient now ;D

 

Good idea - I did dump all my old sand when I re did my tank
you dont want old tank problems in the new one

are you going base rock with new set up? it becomes live in time and does not have all the unwelcome nasties you can get with live rock

Steve

 

I would let the 180 completely cycle on it's own then add the contest of the 22G. If the 22G has a lot of bad algae growth you may want to transfer your live stock to the 180 after the cycle then get control over the algae in the 22 before moving the rock

J

 

nope going with live rock, it's going to be hard to find that much base rock around here , and how am i going to cycle the tank if i'm using base rock? throw some dead shrimp meat inside?

For dsb in my refugium, is 5 inches of live sand enough? my refugium's gonna be pretty big ( 24'' x 18'' x 24'' ) hope it's gonna be enough nutrient control for my tank , what do you guys think ? it'll be filled with chaeto , i don't wanna add nitrate reactors or other removers in the future ( if possible )

 

somehow the algae's only growing on the sand.. and walls of course. don't seem them on the live rock =) when i transfer my livestock, do i add all at once ? i have 6 fishes ( bought a pair of saddlebacks in a breeding container as i was upgrading ;D , couldn't resist! ) , 2 shrimps , 5 snails, a bulb tip, and many corals!

 

it is a major upgrade you are doing
so it might well be worth considering setting this tank up and cycling as an independant tank and then moving your existing live stock across

Jason has chipped in and I hope Reef Sparky is following this?

you could cycle with base rock and decaying prawns but if you cant get enough base rock then its a mute point anyway
you could cycle if you wanted to, with base rock and a Damsel fish - many people do and the odds are fantastically in the Damsels favour in that size tank



Steve